Iowa State gained key experience in heartbreaking loss to Arizona on the road

Despite the defeat, the Cyclones took plenty away from defeat in OT to Wildcats

Jan 27, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) and Iowa State Cyclones guard Keshon Gilbert (10) run toward the ball during the second half at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Yes, it was heartbreaking the way Caleb Love and Arizona knocked off third-ranked Iowa State Monday night.

But in the grand scheme of things, the defeat could eventually be what helps the Cyclones come March.

Our friends at @DriveToyota bring us Instant Reaction from tonight’s game against Arizona 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/713HPwNhPY

— Iowa State Athletics (@CycloneATH) January 28, 2025

Iowa State had to battle through adversity all night in a hostile environment that was nothing like the one they saw last Saturday in a victory at Arizona State. Instead, this was a “us against the world” that forced the Cyclones to “man up.”

And they did so without leading scorer Curtis Jones contributing his usual bunch of points.

Tamin Lipsey stepped up, Dishon Jackson stepped up and Joshua Jefferson found his groove late to spark a strong run that gave Iowa State the lead.

“I’m proud of our guys and the competitive effort and fighting spirit they showed,” Iowa State head coach TJ Otzelberger said. “When you bring that type of effort on the road, you will usually be successful. That just wasn’t the case.

“Our guys had to play through tough stretches. The crowd was terrific and our guys showed poise to battle back and take the lead. They just were not fortunate enough to be successful.”

Otzelberger makes a great point, and these types of games and battles are what makes March so fun and exciting. Now these Cyclones have the kind of in-game experience that they will need to survive and make a run to the Final Four.

More Iowa State-Arizona Coverage

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